Numerical dosimetry of currents induced in the human body by ELF magnetic fields

Purpose: The classical φ-a formulations for numerical dosimetry of currents induced by extremely low frequency magnetic fields requires that the source field is provided through a vector potential. The purpose of this paper is to present a new formulation t-b which directly takes the flux density as source term. Design/methodology/approach: This formulation is implemented through finite element and validated by comparison with analytical solutions. The results obtained by both formulations are compared in the case of an anatomical computational phantom exposed to a vertical uniform field. Findings: A good agreement between the t-b formulation and both numerical and analytical computations was found. Originality/value: This new formulation seems to be more accurate than the φ-a formulation, and is more suited for situations where the magnetic field is known from experimental measurements, as there is no need for a magnetic vector potential. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.